For the Forest
by SweetnSour333
Summary: A stomper finds herself in danger of dying in the woods because she is a tree huger and refuses to let a forest be bulldozed.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: (Crawls out from under rock) Hi guys! (No one looks happy) . . . Sooooo . . . yea, I know I suck at updating and I know this isn't the second chapert but their is some good news! I am actually going to make this into an on going story . . . I will still suck at updating so please PLEASE be patient because I wasn't lying when I say my inspiration comes in spurts and I can't control when they happen.

In other news no this isn't the second chapter (hides behind rock) but it is almost done I promise! I ask everyone to read this because I had it fluffed up by my awesome . . . fluffer? . . . Because she isn't really an editor or a beta tester because she dose this awesome thing where she reads my story and makes it sound . . . well AWESOME by pretty much rewriting the whole thing! So half of the credit of this story will go to her. I would say her fanficiton and or ficitonpress name . . . but she doesn't have either of those . . . (sighs) -_-" So yea if you could give a big thank you to my "Fluffer" she would really like that a lot and she will finish up with the second chapter sooner. And when I say sooner I mean in a few days from when I posted this.

**THANK YOU TO **

**shippolove844 &**** Amber Flare Summers:** More is coming!

**Lereniel: **I am glad you think it is interesting! I hope to make it even more interesting so keep reading!**  
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**NovaLight: **Aaaaah! I did see what you did there, and thank you for the insperation you have helped me think of a few things to come! ^-^**  
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**Ronin is my Hero(guest): **You get your wish! I am continuing the story! **ALTHOUGH! I am not sure if I want it to be a romance for Ronin or for the guy with the red poofy beard. **(I have named him Ronin's lieutenant in my story. Dose anyone know his name or even if he has one?) **The reason for this is because . . . I love Ronin and Tara together so much and I will feel guilty if I give him a new lover. **(If that makes any sense)

**SkywardWriter: **She will freak out in the next chapter and I did try and put more description in it myself . . . it didn't work well. So please message me or post a guest review saying how well my "Fluffer" did! She would like to know

**I don't own Epic or any of the characters from the movie!**

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A 34 year old woman treks home, away from her broken down car. The mastermind apparently knew enough about vehicles to make hers give out before she could reach her home. She knew it was sabotage judging by the smug message left in sharpie on the underside of her hood. _**Stop trying to defend the forest. It's dead. Let advancement take its course**__. _The message hardly fazed the woman, and she has already begun planning her next legal move against the house developers. _There are plenty of developments elsewhere. Bulldoze something man made and replace it respectively. That makes more sense to me. These guys are just too lazy to make any other effort… _The woman's head falls back a bit as she casts her gaze upwards to the limbs of the trees high above her. Her gaze falls to the road on which she walks as her toe taps a pebble from the road. She can hear the faint buzzing of a few humming birds' wings. Her gaze flits upwards again as she smiles at the three little birds fly past her, giving high pitched, chirping calls. As her eyes leave the focus of the creatures, they finally soak in the hue of the now darkening sky. "Oh my gosh… It's almost dark," she softly exclaims to herself, her brow furrowing slightly, "How did I miss that…?" Her pace picks up to a light jog, but she soon slows back down to a moderate walk. _No sense in getting overly tired... _She pulls her phone from her pocket, searching the display for the battery icon. She breathes a slight sigh of relief, seeing that more than half of the charge is intact. If it's necessary, she can use her flashlight app.

Just as darkness begins to overtake her vision, a car pulls up in front of the woman. The high beam headlights hinder her view of the car's body. The vehicle halts about three yards away from her before there is an array of opening and closing doors. The woman pauses, confused by the appearance of the car. "Um… I'm alright. You didn't need to stop," she reassures the figures as they step into the light. The previously shrouded men can now be properly seen. The men all wear suits, only adding to their imposing posture. One other fact is noticed: of the four men, two hold guns. The remaining two begin to unsheathe their wakizashi swords. A wave of realization hits the woman as she speaks to the men, "Oh. You must work for Mr. Jin." The swordsmen advance slowly, but she matches the pace, stepping backwards. "You know," she begins, "Considering how long I've been trying to hinder his plans, I'm surprised that he's _just now_ sending his goons to take me in."

"Oh, we are _not_ here to 'take you in," with this, a smile appears on the speaker's lips, "Mr. Jin has had enough of you." Both swordsmen lift their blades as if they are extensions of their arms. "We are here to ensure that you don't make it home tonight…" The man's smile can be heard in his words.

"Well, that explains my car," the woman scoffs to herself softly, sighing soon after. Now she struggles with herself to keep calm and seem unfazed. _Chill out, Fallin. You know how to disarm a guy with a knife- Well, in this case, a sword. Just keep your cool. Don't freak out. _Taking another step back, she plants her foot in the ground. "I am flattered that Mr. Jin believes it necessary to send _four _men to kill me. Or is it just that you four are the incompetent lackeys?" As the original speaker's smirk fades, Fallin gains one of her own. There is a growl from one of the other, obviously prouder, men. _Come on, take the bait. _She gains an expression of mock-culpability, her voice mirroring the charade, "Oh! I'm so sorry! Did I make you realize your own incompetence as a human being?" Now, a roar rips from the swordsman on Fallin's left side. The goon, his arms raised in a high stance, advances on the woman quickly. Just as he comes into her range, Fallin lurches forward, her hands gripping the hilt at either end. She twists it sideways and ducks down to the ground, sending the man tumbling over her. Before another action can be taken, the man is nailed in the back of the head by the back of his own sword.

The air rings with the rap of a gunshot, a shock of pain emanating from Fallin's upper left shoulder. Her hand flies to her wound, gripping it with immense pressure while still holding the sword in her left hand. Without another hesitation, she bolts into the shadows of the adjacent trees. Bullets skim by every nearby tree and all about her, barely missing her fleeing form. The attack only serves to make her run faster, fight or flight biting her system like a pair of spurs to a horse. The gunshots gradually slow as a pair of the footsteps soon grows louder. _Stand and fight while you still have the energy and the blood._ She almost scolds herself mentally. Sliding to a stop, Fallin readies herself with an offensive stance and her hands on the hilt of the sword. Moving to attack first, the woman lurches forward, however, she soon realizes that making the first move was the wrong thing to do. Instead of the resistance of another sword, she feels the cold sting of steel raking across her abdomen. The sword bites into her skin, but the gash isn't devastatingly deep. Her left hand clutches the wound, now covering both of her hands in blood but still standing ready to continue the brawl, wielding the sword in her right.

Fallin knows that she's in trouble at this point. She also realizes that one more cut and she'll be reduced to a useless lump due to shock. So, she waits for the man to make the next move. He advances, and in a swirling mess of tripping and blades biting into skin on either end, Fallin finds an opening and takes it. She lunges forward at the man's right shoulder, the sword giving as it plunges through him. Head-butting him hard enough, the woman takes him to the knees and eventually face-first into the ground. The now exhausted Fallin falls back as he knees give out from the self-inflicted impact. She leans forward a bit to seize her fallen attacker's sword. Another deafening crack shatters the air as a bullet grazes the top of the woman's hand. Jumping back, she scrambles without the sword to crawl behind a close by tree. Trying to keep from hyperventilating, Fallin takes a few deep breaths, only listening to her own mental advice. _You have to run, Fallin. It's your only chance to get out of here alive. _Her palms press into the tree at her back, sliding up the rough bark to a standing position.

_RUN. _Fallin's palms shove off of the firm tree, giving her a boost of adrenaline and allowing her to ignore the fire painfully pulsing at her wounds. Only a few yards from being overtaken, Fallin's foot gives beneath her as a slick rock foils her escape. A scream escapes the woman's lips as her helpless form crashes and rolls down a steep hillside. She hits fallen logs and rolls through bushes and the foliage. The two men follow her to the edge of the hill over which the woman plummeted. The three simply look after her, satisfied to assume that she won't survive the fall, let alone the rest of the night. After a few moments, they turn back to help their fallen companion.

Fallin wakes at the bottom of the hill lying flat on her back. The sky still yields no light. A low humming mixed with a soft squeaking fills her ears. Her eyes focus slowly, seeing (or at least she thinks it's there) a small white flower. The pedals don't yet yield their beauty to the world, staying closed as the flower sits on the woman's nose. Her brow furrows as she blinks a couple of times. Her eyes seemingly trick her into seeing a small and worried expression right beneath the bud of the flower. In her peripheral vision, Fallin sees almost a cloud of fireflies dancing about her. They gradually come closer to the woman as the wind picks up; its cool breath causes the trees to sway slowly. They seem farther away than when she was wandering down the road, but she just takes into account that she's on the ground. Her eyes close, the lightning bugs assaulting her vision. Soon she hears a new set of voices above her.

"Your majesty-! What are you-?" the samurai-like warrior is cut off by a youthful girl with a bit of gruff clinging to her throat.

"We have to help her, Ronin. Did you not see what she just went through? Help me!" Feeling a small arm wiggling itself under her neck, Fallin doesn't think to protest. However, as the unknown savior tries to lift her, the woman holds back a cry of pain with little success as every one of her muscles spasms in a red hot rush of pain.

"NO! Your majesty, you will only hurt her more!" Fallin can now open her eyes, letting them focus on whoever surrounds her. She sees a green girl in a flowing white dress standing above her. The girl has a purely white flower bud to resemble her hair. Fallin soon realizes that this is what she had seen just a few moments before. There are two men that accompany the girl. Both are clad in green armor resembling the leaves of a plant. One of the men has a crescent moon adorning his helmet, and the other sports a red goatee.

"Ronin… Please…" The girl's plea is so desperate, racked with sad sobs as she speaks. It was no surprise that Fallin feels small drops of water plink onto her face. This tears at the woman's heart as she tries to comfort the girl,

"Don't cry, p-… please." Fallin feels her chest tighten with the effort to speak and tries to take a full breath, but this only serves to make her cough.

The girl soon hushes Fallin hurriedly, "Don't speak. We are your friends, I promise." The green girl gingerly caresses the woman's cheek reassuringly. There is a pause before another voice sounds,

"Let me take her, your majesty… I will go on ahead and take her to Moonhaven. They can heal her there." There is a sigh of relief as the girl speaks gratefully,

"Thank you, Ronin…" A now set of strong arms slides beneath Fallin's neck and knees to pull her off of the ground. The explosion of pain attacks her senses again, more vibrantly than before. But when sound should escape her lips, there is only a hiss of a gasp. The strong arms turn sturdy and gentle as the man cradles her as if she were a cracked porcelain doll.

"Hold on… Just hold on and I will take you to be fixed," the man's voice is concerned and he speaks hurriedly, realizing how critical the situation is. He starts off at a jog, hardly bouncing as he does so. Fallin's eyes open just long enough to observe the man's blurred features. A strong jaw, a set of concentrated eyes, and a worried frown all depict the emotion one may feel on a mission that might knowingly fail. "Hold her. Hand her up to me in a moment," the warrior moves quickly but very carefully. Changing arms causes little pain to Fallin, but the wrenching of being set in a high saddle makes her brow wrinkle as her breath comes in short gasps.

"Be as gentle as you can, Ronin. Stay with her until I am there!" the girl addresses the man firmly. A small jerk from the man seems to start the fluttering of wings as they are lifted from the ground.

"Yes, your majesty," the man answers dutifully before raising his voice to the creature he controls, "HEYA!" Before she can brace herself, Fallin's back is pushed into the chest plate of the warrior's armor, and they're off and moving. A few minutes pass with a nonstop Jetstream of air cooling the two. The man had wrapped his arm about her waist to keep the woman from falling, but it didn't do much to prevent the cold from numbing her wounds.

_Sleep… _The voice in her head is kind and gentle. _Just go to sleep and this will all go away… _The voice coaxes her to drift into the darkness that always seemed to shut her eyes after a few moments of them being open. Fallin tells the man drearily, her eyes already giving in to the voice's suggestion, "I-… I'm drifting…"

"NO! No, you can't!" his voice is urgent as he tightens his grip. The man leans forward as the wind picks up his speed and they dive through the air. "Stay here. Do _not _drift!" he seems to have a hint of acceptance touching his voice. This gives Fallin a bit of realization.

"I won't make it, huh? I've lost too much blood and-"

"You speak another word, and I swear, after you're healed, I will make sure that your life here will be miserable," cutting her off, the man's voice is straining to be agitated; it ends up sounding almost desperate. The sound of rushing water touches Fallin's ears as they descend farther down. "We're almost there. Just over this waterfall and we'll be there. So, stay awake!" There is a brief weightless feeling as the two are lifted from the saddle. A force pulls them to a stop. The man's voice sounds again, shouting at this point, "Take her to the healing chamber, now! _Quickly_!" Fallin is again passed into the arms of another, gritting her teeth as the person begins to jog.

Her environment lightens as the person moves swiftly through the corridors. The sound of their feet echoes off of the solid walls. There is a chorus of panicked words being shouted by her rescuer, "We need a healer! _We need a healer!_" The man's yells echo as his footsteps did. There is distant rustling and chatter as another urgent voice sounds,

"This way." There's more jogging; more clenching of teeth plagues Fallin, almost breaking her teeth in the process.

"Who is she?" the healer sounds confused as the leafman holding her wears a similar expression. But his is mixed with urgency as he holds the wounded and strangely dressed woman in his arms.

"I don't know. Ronin brought her," the simple mention of the other leafman has already given importance to the unknown woman's face.

"Lay her there. I will do what I can," the woman is gently placed onto the bed that the doctor specified. The leafman moves to leave the room just as Ronin steps in, the door closing soon afterwards.

"Will she live?" the head of the Leafmen practically demands the condition of the newly rescued woman. As he walks into the room, everyone bows slightly out of respect.

"She has lost a lot of blood, Ronin…" the doctor's voice is almost distraught. The girl's breathing quickens as her head turns to face the source of the voices. "Is she still conscious?!" the doctor now becomes even more distressed as he hurries about the room, collecting various bottles and containers from the pantries. The creature's body is covered in bark resembling that of a tree.

"More than likely, yes. She was able to stay conscious the entire way down the road running through the southeast of the forest…" Ronin's voice holds a hint of surprise as he explains. He stands over the barely breathing woman with one hand on his sword and the other fisted at his side as he questions the medic, "What are you going to do?" The doctor lays a few different things beside her before mixing the various ingredients in the top of an acorn.

"I cannot do much. I will reduce the pain so she can rest. Then, I will need to bandage her up. We can only wait for the Queen at that point. She has the ability to heal her," the doctor still sounds concerned as he gently cradles the back of the woman's head. In his other hand, the branch-like physician holds a wooden bowl full of water and herbs. "Come now, miss. You need to drink this," the voice is urgent at this point as he puts the bowl to her lips. The woman responds with a hand on his as she drinks the mixture. Ronin walks over to the door sized window, watching for the Queen and her escort to arrive. His expression is concerned as it normally is. "Ronin, I need you to stay with her and make sure that she keeps breathing. I have to go and gather a few things for cleaning her wounds," the stick man transfers all of his materials onto his desk before rushing to the door. He pauses before closing the door, still looking into the room as he addresses the warrior, "Ronin, sit beside her. Make sure that she knows you are there. The Queen is safe. Both Nod and your first lieutenant are with her."

Closing the door with a soft nudge, Ronin glances out the window once more before moving to the woman's bedside. He gently sits beside the bleeding and broken girl. Her breathing hitches every so often, testing what she can and cannot do to avoid the majority of her pain. Ronin watches her fists clench, her knuckles turning white with the pressure. He soon hears the grinding of teeth as her jaw clamps down.

"Hey, now... Don't clench your jaw so tightly. You might break your teeth…" Ronin's voice holds a surprising amount of concern as he places a hand on either side of her face. He gently massages the tense muscles in her jaw. Slowly, the woman's jaw loosens, but a soft whimper escapes her lips. Her brow furrows as she presses her lips into a thin line. "The pain will stop… I promise," the warrior tries to reassure the wounded woman. She takes a breath, her lips moving without words to accompany them. All that passes her lips is the remnants of a whisper. Ronin's brow knits slightly as he leans down a bit, his ear close to her lips, "Say it again, I can't hear you." Her small gasping breaths sweep over his ear. A fleeting image of Tara's face crosses his mind. He immediately shuts his eyes, begging for the image to linger just a little while longer. But it doesn't linger as the woman speaks,

"It-… it stops when-… when I die-"

"Why are you so obsessed with your own death? You will _not _die. I will make sure of it!" Ronin's sudden fury was surprising even to himself as he stands and paces about the room.

"Don't-" the woman's breathing hitches, cutting herself off as a coughing fit prevents her from continuing.

"Don't strain yourself," Ronin runs his fingers through his hair before sitting on the bedside again, leaning down close to her, "Speak if you can…"

"Don't-" the woman continues her previous statement, "Don't make promises… You can't keep…" With her words, a split second passes when Ronin's vision is overtaken again. His mind flashes the memory of Tara lying in front of him with the Boggin's arrow in her side. A knot in the warrior's throat prevents him from speaking; though she doesn't have the strength to open her eyes, Ronin's head turns to avert his pained expression. The door opens now, causing Ronin to stand, clearing the way for the returning medic and the two insect women flanking him. The man takes this advantage to slip out of the room quietly. He stands just outside of the room, staring at the wall. He doesn't dare to close his eyes, afraid that he'll see her again…

"_Ronin_!" the sudden outburst of the youthful voice makes the warrior jump, reflexively gripping the hilt of his sword. Relief cools his racing blood as he looks down the hall, seeing the Queen and his two most trusted warriors. "Where is she? Is she okay? Is she alive?" the girl practically trips over her own words.

"The-" Ronin fumbles over his words slightly, being caught off guard, "The doctor is cleaning and dressing her wounds." The white flower girl runs up to the warrior. She throws her arms around his neck in a warm embrace of gratitude and relief.

"Thank you so much, Ronin. You never fail!" Ronin's eyes widen slightly at her words. They hit him like a huge punch to his core, but it's worse than any shock that could be given to him by physical means. He takes a step back to keep his balance, feeling as though he might fall over. The young queen quickly walks through the doors.

"Ronin… What's wrong with you...?" Nod waves his hand in front of Ronin's face, looking and sounding concerned, but mostly being confused. The first lieutenant steps up from behind the younger warrior.

"General, is there something wrong with the girl?" there is a stillness in the air as he speaks. His voice is practically undetectable, not allowing anyone but the other two men to hear, "Is there no chance of saving her?"

_No, no more of this… I have to stop thinking… _"No, she will live," Ronin's voice hides how distraught he is. He pushes past the two warriors, picking up his pace. Instead, he comes across with his more commonplace agitation, "I have to go. I will be back before sunrise."

"Hey, you shouldn't be out there alone. Even though Mandrake isn't-"

"I will be fine and not very far away. Stay here and watch over everything," the warrior's voice is commanding at this point, exercising his authority over the two. He takes the next corner and disappears from the sight of the other two. They look after him, both confused about what just happened. They take their places on either side of the door, not able to do anything more than wonder or worry.

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**A/N**: Ok so if you have already posted a review on here and still want to again could you do it as a guest? Either that or just message me please, please, please! My Fluffer and I really want to hear from shippolove844, Amber Flare Summers, Lereniel, NovaLight, Ronin is my Hero(guest), and SkywardWriter again! Thanks again for reviewing and I promise I will message you back if review on this and in future reviews. Even if you just say you liked it I will send a thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Hey guys guess what THE SECOND CHAPTER IT OUT WOOOOOOOOOO! Sorry for the late post . . . again but I did warn you guys. SO! This one was not fluffed by my Fluffer because as of right now band camp has started and she is beat every night she gets home. So this is my crappy edited version for you all so you don't have to wait any longer. Again I am sorry for the wait, please enjoy!

OH! hey if you reviewed my first chapter go back and look at it again because I did reply. I WILL MAKE SURE TO MESSAGE BACK IF YOU REVIEW ON THIS ONE!

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Fluttering brown eyes open to a dim golden, glow in a rather large room with small things that are enlarged. The bed is made of a tuft of cotton and the blanket is a leaf from a lams ear plant. "Huh, what a weird way to decorate a room." Her soft laugh brought little pain as she looks around the room filled with things you would find in the forest. "It's almost like someone read my mind when I was a kid and brought my dream room to life." Her smile grew wider and wider with each thing she laid her eyes on. The thin oak leaf curtains over the door way to the balcony. The chairs and table made from bent twigs and smoothed bark. The cabinets holding folded leafs tied with striped grass blades seeming to hold something inside them and carved wooden bowls and boxes with different colored herbs slightly sticking out of them. The walls, floor, and ceiling are made of smoothed gray rock with a few cracks here and there.

"Your Highness we can't risk it!" The muffled but a familiar male voice breaks her thoughts from the room to the leaves leading into the hall.

"What do you mean we can't risk it?" The girl's rough voice makes the human sit up slightly as the fuzzy picture of the girl crying flashes across her eyes. The two arguing bodies stop just outside the doorway as the man argues with urgency and stubbornness.

"She is a stomper, we shouldn't trust her with-"

"What about MK and her father?" There is a short pause and you can almost feel the frustration of the girl seeping through the leaf doors. "So we go up to one of her cameras and say 'Sorry MK but you can't see Nod anymore and Finn you can't study us any more or come in contact with us, bye, bye.'"

Fallin turns her head away from the door and closes her eyes trying to pretend to sleep _ Ok, slow, light breathing relaxed muscles and . . . wait . . . stomper? What is that supposed- _

"No," a sigh calms the tense air as the realization takes hold that the wrong words were spoken, "you know that we can't do that. They have given up so much for us, for the forest."

"And so has she." The soft rustling of a leaf being pushed out of the way catches Fallin's ear and makes her clench her fists under the covers.

"Your Highness how is it that you know that, for sure?" The footsteps growing closer to the seemingly unconscious Fallin has the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. The teenage bud queen sits in the chair beside the bed and the general of the leafmen stands in front of her.

"Ronin, she spends more time in the forest than in her own home. She found her way to Nim Galuu's tree once and sat there for the longest time with her eyes shut like she was in a trance."

"She probably fell asleep." This time the sigh came from the girl, frustrated and a bit tired of the argument. "What?"

"You know, sometimes you can be so dense." Looking up into the warrior's eyes she paused for a few seconds trying to find what is troubling. "When you are overwhelmed with anger, fear, frustration, actually any type of emotion; what is the best way, well, what is the warrior's way to deal with it?"

"Well one way is to train and take your mind off-"

"I didn't say to give me a list Ronin. I want only one answer. The best way to calm yourself is . . . ?" with a slight pause and a intake of breathe Ronin turns his head to look at the floor.

"to be still." Another reluctant sigh. "Focus on everything around you to clear your mind. Then solve your problem after you are calm and can see clearly." The still silence isn't anything to fear. No angry stairs or tense muscles but a mind full of questions. But one in particular keeps running through the jinn girls head.

"Ronin, why are you so worried about her being here?" Ronin lifted his eyes to look at the oak leaves covering the way to the balcony.

"Do you truly think she loves the forest?"

"Yes I do." Ronin's sigh is heavy and so are his next words.

"Then when she wakes, calm her down, knock her out, take her back to where you found her, turn her back, and leave her there." He had practically cut her off with his cold and sharp words. "If you don't you will be jeopardizing your kingdom and the jinn living here."

"Ronin . . ." But the leaves rustled and footsteps faded before she can speak another word, _what has you so worried? _Her thoughts traveled a dark path before a stirring from the bed makes the queen turn. "You're awake!" Watching the clearing eyes of the stomper, the queen clears her mind of any ill feelings and thoughts before speaking again. "Miss, Miss, can you hear me?" watching the woman's eyes move around the room and her smile creep onto her face.

"What . . . What is this pla- AH!" Jumping nearly a foot off her bed the stopmer scoots back and kicks the lams ear covers onto the queen.

"AH!"

"WHAT THE- AAH!" The queen closes her eyes before the stomper slips and falls of the bed with a thud. Opening her eyes she expected to see no trace of the woman but instead she sees her bare feet sticking straight up in the air. Her light giggle fills the room as she stands.

"Are you alright stomper?" The painful intake of a breath makes the queen bolt around the cotton ball and over to the fallen woman. "Of course you're not." Scolding herself under her breathe she kneels down to the upside down woman. "Here, let me help you." Taking Fallin's feet off the cloud of cotton and gently sitting her up was the easy and not so painful part. But now she has to stand. "You ready?"

"NO! No, just . . . just help me turn and let me sit with my back to the bed for a while." After doing what is asked of her the queen sits on the floor in front of the breathing stomper. Fallin's eyes are shut so tightly that her eyelids are nothing but layers of wrinkles, her mouth is pressed into a thin line and her breathing is slow and deep trying to gain some control over her aching muscles. "Where am I?"

"Moonhaven, the palace of the Easter forest." Fallin's eyes open and they study the white bud teen. The top of her head is a white marigold bud, her skin a light green, and her dress it made of leaves and white flower peddles.

"What are you?" Her words are not said in disgust or fear but pure bewilderment. "I mean you, you can't be human your outfit is too perfect and real and these things are too real and . . . and you are too real . . ." Placing a hand on her head Fallin groans as the cogs in her brain grind on one another so much that she can hear her heartbeat in the back of her head.

"I am a jinn, there are different types jinn here in this kingdom. There are insects, plants, Leafmen and Boggan."

"That still doesn't make any sense." The leaves covering the doorway to the halls open and close with a light rustle.

"Your highness we need to- . . . your highness?"

"We're over here on the floor." Rounding the corner of the bed is two people, one in the shape of a twig and the eyes of a person and the other with the wings of a butterfly and goggles of a pilot. Fallin didn't even hear them speaking she was too distracted by their forms. Shaking her head and squeezing her eyes she speaks just loud enough to be heard.

"Please tell me where I am!" Even though she rubs her temples and the silence fills the room the headache pounds just behind her eyes. Then an arm slips under hers pulling her up. "Ah! Ouch, ouch!"

"Just focus on walking forward." The teen flower girl that the stick and the bug call highness pulls her out onto the balcony. Shielding her eyes from the bright sun shining off the running water she waited for them to stop before rubbing and opening her eyes. The clear sparkling water was what caught her gaze first and then it was the green reflections of the tallest trees she has ever seen. Leaning her head back all the way almost made her fall, but it's worth the view of beautiful dancing leaves playing with the light the shines through them. There is a large open spot over the rock structure she sits in that would give the best view of the stars at night. Then she sees something zip by in a blur along with hearing the laughter of a child. Again, looking up she sees a large bird fly around and around doing flips here and there then diving to the ground pulling up at the last second.

"Wow that is the biggest bird I have ever seen! What kind is it?" Finding that she can sit on the railing and still be comfortable she leans on her arm that doesn't hurt as much. Fallin turns to the flower girl and waits.

"I do believe that is a ruby throat hummingbird. Since hummingbirds are the smallest and fastest flyable bird they are the Leafmen's signature bird." Fallin's laughter was light and playful as she turns to look at the water.

"That is impossible hummingbirds are about as tall as my pinky finger there is no way that bird is-" A gush of air startles both the stomper and jinn when a hummingbird lands on the railing of the balcony.

"Ah looks like the stomper from the woods is finally awake!" Pealing her eyes off the huge bird and onto the guy riding it was not hard. But the fact that she kept looking from the person to the bird ever millisecond was starting to give her another headache.

"Nod, you know you shouldn't be landing your bird here."

"Sorry your highness I saw the girl and thought she wouldn't want her hair blowing everywhere. So instead of hovering I landed. Ummm . . . Are you ok?" Both leafman and jinn look over at a very frustrated and confused Fallin. She finally calms down enough to take a deep breath and lets all her emotions out.

"WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND WHERE AM I!?" Her yelling startles the blameless hummingbird and echoes several different times. Even the helpless squeaking of her voice can be heard from where Ronin is training the new recruits on the opposite side of the clear water. Groaning into his hand he climbs on top of his Hummingbird.

"Finish your routine and take care of your birds then you are free to go." Nudging the bird it took off toward the middle of Moonhaven. As he walks down the hall with wide strides and his helmet under his arm he talks under his breath. "Your highness you have to take her back to where she is from, she doesn't have a purpose here like MK had." Huffing out a sigh and pinching the bridge of his nose he hesitates before stepping inside the room. _Why is it that I have to prepare myself before talking with the queen? It was never like this with Tara._ Brushing a leaf aside he walks in to see Nod the the Queen standing in front of a wide eyed stomper.

"No . . . no . . . no, no, no. Nononononononnononononononononono ho ho ho." The stomper pauses and takes a deep breath. Her voice continues in the high pitched helplessness of someone trying to wrap their mind around a subject, but in the proces of doing so she has snapped their brain in two. "This is not plausible what so ever there is no such thing as people getting shrunk or the magic of Mother Nature," her nervous laugh made Ronin lift a thin eyebrow, he could practically see the sweat dripping form her brow. "I mean this dose make a lot of sense and it explains a few thing that I saw when I was a child but there is no way that I am smaller the a penny and can jump as high as my normal height or see larger animals or people move in slow motion or-" Holding her hand over the frazzled woman's mouth the queen makes her pause and breath a few times considering she only took one breath before she spoke

"What did you see when you were a child?" Carefully taking her hand away she never loses her eyes until the stomper blinks and begins to talk with her hands franticly.

"Well haha when I was 7 or, or was it 9 or whatever when I was little enough to be entertained by running around with a jar and catching lightning bugs I caught one or two in a jar once and when I looked through the glass I swear to this day that I saw a little person! A little tiny person on bigger then two knuckles on my pinky finger it had its four hands pressed up agents the glass and stood on two legs and had a glowing butt and, and it's face was a blur. When I ran over to show my mother she said that there were only two bugs and they were very pretty I was so, so very frustrated with my mother and her seeming ly bad eyesight but when I took back the jar I couldn't judge witch was the little person and witch was the bug. They were flying too fast neither of them would sit still THEN, then there was another time when I was sitting in the yard making flower crowns out of the little white flowers in the clover patched and I had found five of the perfect flowers and decided that I would make a bracelet for mom. I set the newly made crown of flowers on my head and as I looked down to pick my five prized flowers they were gone just gone vanished as if they grew back into the ground or got up and walked away. But this is why this is the place I tried to find for three years as a child before giving up and doing what I could with what I could see my god everything is connected now the fast moving with the blurred fireflies the flowers that seemed to just vanish as if they got up and walked away! . . . Ouch . . ." She began to breathe again but her breath was not steady and slow. Knowing what would happen if she continued Ronin walked in farther making his presence known with the soft thumping of his shoes.

"Calm yourself miss if you don't you will surly faint from hyperventilation." Breathing through her nose now, or at least trying to, she looks at the ground with wide eyes and heat griping her face and chest, not letting go.

"I need to cool down in a bath or a stream, yea a stream somewhere open and out of the way so I can be alone for a bit." Taking a deep breath again trying to remember how to breathe properly without overdosing herself with air, she lets her breath out slowly. "Please I need to . . . not think about anything for a bit . . . I need to numb myself."

"I have the perfect place!" Standing up with a small bounce of her feet and a wiggle of her petal skirt she turns to Ronin. "Ronin will you carry her to my sanctuary?" Knowing this would be easier to just obey he nods his head and walks cautiously to the woman slumped on the railing of the balcony. Taking Fallin's arm and putting it around his neck he slides an arm behind her knees and around her back before lifting her up. Nod and the queen flank Ronin and Fallin as they walk down the halls with the workers giving small bows as they pass by. The walk wasn't long for Fallin because she had retreated into herself so fare her eyes were blank and her breathing was scares. "Ronin, Ronin she looks like she isn't even here. What is wrong with her?"

"She is trying to make sense of all this and wrap her mind around our world. I have to say I liked MK's reaction better than hers."

"What did MK do?"

"She panicked a little bit and then told me to change her back."

"Wow she took that really well if that is all that she did." Nod takes a few hopping steps so to speak to both the queen and Ronin.

"Yea but don't forget that you also put her straight to work afterward since you both had to take the bud to Nim Galuu's." the three walk into the queens sanctuary with a sky of purple flowers.

"Well then we should give her something to do after she has calmed down maybe then she will heal a little faster." The queen claps her hands together trying to think of a few things but Ronin has to speak.

"After she calms down your highness you need to take her ba-"

"Would you _stop_ that Ronin!" Seeing Fallin shrink a little into Ronin's arms she quiets her next words starting with a sigh. "Either you tell me why you do not want her here or you keep quiet while I show her around." Ronin only looks straight ahead.

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Ronin when she opened her eyes they lit up like a child's dose when they get something they have longed for. She is fascinated by our world Ronin I know it and I want to show it to her." The trickling waterfall grows nearer and nearer and seems to draw the distant eyes of the stomper back to its body. "Fallin we are almost there will you need help getting ready for the dip?" Arriving at the pond like pool of water Ronin sets her on her feet.

"N-no . . . no, I will be fine. Thank you." Dipping her toes into the water and then both of her feet she smiles at its pleasantly cool temperature.

"If you need anything just call out some of the Jinn will be in the area working." Watching Fallin nod her head the queen turns around and takes Ronin and Nod by the arms pulling them into the line of large leafs sectioning off the pool of water from the rest of the room. Taking a deep breath Ronin finaly finds the right words to tell the queen of his newly discovered

"Your highness I-"

"Your Highness! We must discus a few things concern-"

"Yes, yes I know concerning the banquet Tim and Flight have tried to today I told them I would come back and do that when I was finished with Fallin. So come one lets go and-"

"Your highness I am here for more important matters concerning . . . _her_." Stopping in her tracks the queen turns around with her hands over her head in surrender.

"Not you too! Ronin, did you put him up to this? If I hear that that kind woman is not welcome here one more time so help me I-"

"No your highness not the stomper I mean the one who has been giving us the most trouble since Mandrake." A tense pause catches the jinn girl with her mouth open and eyes wide.

"She's back?"

"Yes there have been sightings and . . . and I am afraid has been brought down on one of the underground gamboling tunnels."

"How . . ." clearing her throat and preparing for the number she finally asks, "how many, this time?"

"Four . . . two were partnered bosses and the other two were their second in command."

"What of the civilians there?" she wrong her hands with anticipation and worry.

"Non that we found were dead some injured but nothing too extreme."

"You are for sure that it is her?" Taking a leaf wrapped object from under his arm in Jinn hands it to her queen. Slowly opening the leaf she says a silent prayer that she knows will not be heard. The object was small but very recognizable with the dead gray color of a broken twig and the purple tip of a poisoned arrow head that could be mistaken for one of Mandrake's. Taking the arrow Ronin carefully examines it at a dangerously close proximity. "Ronin?"

"I'm afraid it is. Your highness with your permission I will assemble several teams to begin looking for her." With a small nod and down cast eyes she hands the leaf to Ronin and walks farther under the purple ceiling of flowers. No one says anything as they bow to the back of their queen and leave her to her thoughts.

* * *

**A/N: **Soooooo . . . thoughts? What do you guys think will happen with this new villain? Why dose Ronin hate the fact that Fallen is around? What do you think whill happen next? And tell me what you like/don't like about what I have written so far. Oh, and tell me if I messed up with grammar or spelling please!

Ok so I have looked and looked and LOOKED trying to find if the new queen and the leafman with the red beard has a name. SOMEONE HELP ME FIND IT! Or you could throw in suggestions for either of them. Any input is greatly needed and appreciated.

UNTIL NEXT TIME! ^-^


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